To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
The scene of experiences
Vesa Jääskö Tuuli Mattelmäki
Salu Ylirisku
+358 9 75630556
+358 9 75630556
+ 358 9 756 30472
vesa.jaasko@uiah.fi tuuli.mattelmaki@uiah.fi
salu.ylirisku@uiah.fi
University of Art and Design Helsinki UIAH
Hämeentie 135 C
00560 HELSINKI
Track: Dealing with diversity
Abstract
Luotain - Design for user experience is an ongoing research project at the University of Art
and Design Helsinki UIAH. Project’s objectives include developing user centred
methodology and understanding for design for user experience. The notion of user experience
is wide and can be examined from many different angles. In order to understand alternative
user study methods, and how they are able to illustrate the perspectives of user experience,
we have studied several approaches that are related to the phenomenon. These approaches
enlighten the issue on a general level or are very focused. Also, they are not practical enough
from product design and concept design point of view. To develop methodology for usercentred concept design, a holistic picture of the issues related user experience is needed. In
the paper we present a new framework of perspectives to user experience. The framework is
drawn from comparing and connecting existing models and is based on previous work in
Luotain project. The dimensions that have a role in the scene of experiences consist of the
human perspective, the product meanings perspective, the activities perspective, the physical
world perspective, the products perspective and finally the design perspective.
Introduction
Luotain - Design for user experience is an ongoing research project at the University of Art
and Design Helsinki UIAH (http://smart.uiah.fi/luotain). Project aims at supporting user
centred concept design in the context of product design. The objectives include developing
user centred tools and understanding for the design for user experience. In this project several
user study cases have been made with using several techniques to get experience and
understanding about how different tools are able to get hold of the user experience.
Usability emphasises the user’s goals as the central entities which the product should support
efficiently, effectively and satisfactorily (ISO 9241-11 1998) Although the meaning of user’s
goals is essential to usability, the goals themselves have been vaguely defined. In addition,
the subjective motivations or contextual factors haven't got much attention. In the usability
view the user is not seen as a feeling actor and user’s pleasure is measured by satisfaction, or
more precicely by the lack of displeasure (Jordan, 1999), and experience related feelings like
delight have no role.
The design for user experience goes beyond usability. The user is seen as a human being and
the human’s motivations or reactions to these experiences are not merely practical. There are
a wide range of other important dimensions which should be defined and separated from
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
user’s goals. Design for user experience seeks to understand and fulfil also these human
user’s deeper motivations.
Although the motivations are not always practical does not mean, however, that the design
for experience is related to ultimate once-in-a-lifetime-emotion-filled occasions. Rather, it
takes into account little or bigger delightful experiences in life. In design for user experience
the essential is not what is needed but what matters. (Fulton Suri 2003)
Buchenau and Fulton Suri (Buchenau, Fulton Suri 2000) presented an example of the
experience of a run down a mountain on a snowboard. They described details about the
different aspects that affect the experience such as the weight and material qualities of the
board, the bindings and the boots, the snow conditions, the weather, the terrain, the
temperature of air in the hair, the skill level, the current state of mind, the mood and
expression of the companions.
The example presents the situational context of the run down the mountain in isolation from
the culture the person is living in, and doesn't tell about a person's motivation or concerns in
skiing. In Luotain-project, we did a case study related downhill snow sports on freeride skiers
in order to understand the phenomenon and to discover product opportunities for concept
design. We found the skiing experience much more complex than the skiing activity seen in
isolation. The experience of coming down the mountain is heavily dependent on the culture a
person is living in, the situational context and a person's attitude towards skiing.
To develop tools for user-centred concept design, we need a holistic framework to understand
factors that affect the user experience. There are several approaches that illuminate the user
experience. (Desmet 2002; Folizzi, Ford 2000; Hummels 2000; ISO 13407, 1999; Jordan
1999; Kankainen 2002; Battarbee, Mattelmäki 2003; Sanders 2001) We have found that the
existing models are either too general, theoretical or have a too limited focus to be used as a
practical tool in product design and concept design context. In this paper we present a next
phase of the framework of perspectives to user experience. (see Jääskö, Mattelmäki 2003)
The perspectives are illustrated with examples from user study cases. In following we present
relevant point of views related to the framework described later in the paper.
User experience
”The experience with even simple artifacts don't happen in a vacuum but, rather, in dynamic
relationship with other people, places and objects. Additionally, the quality of people's
experience changes over time and it is influenced by variations in these multiple contextual
factors.” (Fulton Suri 2000)
Experiences happen in a scene of various dynamic aspects. Some of them are related to past
experiences and are personal. Some of them have social and cultural qualities. To make the
design for user experience even more challenging, experiences develop over time.
The moment of an experience is affected by the past memories but also linked to the dreams
and imagination (Sanders 2001). These can be very subjective and thus, not easily designed
or even affected by the design of an product. The emotions that products elicit are related to
people’s subjective concerns. It is not possible to predict how personal associations are made
and how meanings of products are understood. To be able to create a product that enable the
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
desired emotional effects, designer should know about the concerns of the person, who will
use the product. (Desmet 2002)
Meanings, experiences and meaningful relationships with products are developed over a time
span and they are often related to life situations. (Battarbee, Mattelmäki 2003) Forlizzi and
Ford ( Forlizzi, Ford 2000) have presented a model of user experience which takes into
accout the temporal context. A cognitively challenging interaction can become subconcious
over time. A subconcious experience can become a meaningful experience when verbalised
and narrated. This kind of ongoing dynamics has an affect in the holistic experience.
Pleasure in relation to products opens another perspective to the the user experience. (Jordan
1999) Pleasure can be reflected through body and senses. Cognitive and emotional
experiences affected by a product can be pleasurable, also positive experiences can be
achived by reflecting people’s values in products. Products can play a role in social
relationships with other people. Also, co-experience, the social user and creativity in use are
relevant issues in understanding the notion of user experience. (Battarbee 2003) This
perspective sees the user, not as one entity, but as a group of people creating and sharing
experiences using the product as a facilitator in the interaction.
The experience is affected by other products as well. This product comparison is based on
available product offer. The user is not comparing only the features of competing products
but might make appraisals and decisions according to personal motives. (Gabriel, Lang
1995). Also, the products seem to fight for their place in the houshold similar to flora and
fauna in the nature. (Nieminen-Sundell, Pantzar 2003) It is not a question only about similar
products or competing products but about complex relations and symbiosis that affect the
purchase decisions and later using experiences.
The Framework: the scene of experiences
The following framework is in progress and based on Luotain-project’s current
understanding. (Jääskö, Mattelmäki 2003) In the framework the different perspectives that
affect the user experience are highlighted. The framework can be understood as a tool to
study product related experiences and as a process model for user centred product concept
design. As a product experience model it presents the qualities that matter and the role of a
product in the whole. As a process model it presents the different perspectives that should be
considered during the product concept design process and it also suggests, what kinds of
methods should be used to study a certain perspectives of the whole.
The framework is product centred in a sense that the design is placed into the middle. This is
in line with the designers’ way of thinking about the experience, in which the desired product
attributes are results of or inspired by user centred process.
The division into different perspectives is theoretical in the sense that, in reality as people
experience the products, the dimensions of experience are mixed and form complex network
of relations with each other. Therefore, it is difficult to be able to clearly divide them into
separate categories.
The framework is aimed to be a concrete tool for designers and design consultants. It is
supposed to help them to talk about the user experience in a useful way, and understand the
different perspectives that should be considered in the user centred product concept design
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
process and the dimensions, that have a role how people experience products. The idea in
concept design context is to look for design opportunities and product descriptions from the
scene of experiences.
The framework helps in checking that all meaningful perspectives have been taken into
account. It also clarifies that using only one approach or one focus in user studies might not
be enough in revealing all the relevant aspects needed for designing for user experience.
(Kankainen 2003, Sanders 1999) It facilitates the selection of methods and tools to use for
finding out what to look for and how to represent the findings in a design process.
Perspectives to user experience
The world of
product meanings
The world of
activities
temporal context
attachment
stories, memories
product adaptation
use context
interaction
situations
aesthetics
physical ergonomics
Appearance
User interface
The physical
world
cognitive ergonomics
pshysical and aesthetic
environment
The world of
humans
personality
attitudes, values
motivation
life-style
The world of
products
comparison to other products
relation to trends
product generalization
Figure 1. The perspectives to user experience (based on Jääskö, Mattelmäki 2003)
The framework as a model of product experience
The world of humans
The world of humans is about people's personalities, attitudes, values, motivations, life-style
and past experiences. People are seen as humans, who are social, who experience things
together, who are sensing and emotional beings. These aspects can be studied using e.g.
interviews, probes, collages and observation. (see e.g. Jääskö, Mattelmäki 2003) The world of
humans can be represented in the design project e.g. in the forms of personas, attitude
descriptions, personal goal descriptions, stories, videos and photos.
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
Knowing the world of humans is essential for creating solutions, that fit into people's lifestyle, support their values and social status, are in line with their attitudes, are motivating and
respect their past experiences.
In the downhill snowsports case in Luotain-project we used probes and observation to study
the world of humans. Collected data was interpreted into the form of cultural themes and
personal attitudes. The personal attitudes were described in attitude descriptions, which were
presented in the form of text, images and videos. They contained information about people's
personal values and their personal goals in the skiing culture. E.g. there was an authoritarian
and photographic attitudes. They see the activities related to skiing quite differently. While
photographer's most important value was visual beauty, the other valued the status of natural
authority. Revealing these attitudes helps in understanding their values and deeper
motivations in skiing in order to design equipment accordingly.
Through these techniques it was possible to draw rather holistic and vivid picture of this
sports culture. After having identified the most important values for the different personal
attitudes, it was quite easy to find out the most important practical goals that support the
particular personality.
Studying the
world of humans
-
interviews
probes
collages
observation
Representing the
world of humans
Contents:
personality
attitudes, values
motivation
life-style
- personas
- attitude
descriptions
- personal goals
- stories
- videos
- photos
Figure 2. The world of humans.
The world of product meanings
The world of product meanings is about the roles that products take in peoples’ lives. It is
about the historic perspective of the use and the owning of the product, about the product
attachments and stories reflecting these memories. The world of product meanings can be
studied by e.g. using storytelling, interviews, collages, role play and product personality
assignments. (Koskinen et al 2003; Jordan 1999) To understand this perspective, it is useful
to know how things used to be before, how things have been changed and what has changed
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
them and why. It is important to respect the history of products, since some products are the
result of an evolution of a long history.
Collages and stories can be a tool to get meanings verbalised and documented. (Sanders
1999) For example products that support self expression and social interaction as cellular
phones, may become meaningful to the owner because of the saved messages or names and
contact information of the loved ones. Some products may touch more generally our
memories and associations of past. Ivana of Helsinki- a new clothing brand – uses textures
which are currently trendy but also touch our memories or associations from the 70’s. The
similar phenomenon can be seen in Finland with again so popular Marimekko fabrics and
clothes.
In downhill snow sports case the stories were told in the diaries and during the observation
study. The history of other products revealed the attitude towards the reliability of products.
E.g. a story about a telescope skiing pole gave us the understanding, that if product fails once,
it is no more trusted and may be rejected.
Studying the
world of product meanings
-
storytelling
interviews
probes
role play
product personality
assignment
Contents:
historic context
attachment
stories, memories
product adaptation
Representing the
world of product
meanings
-
scenarios
stories
diagrams
acting
Figure 3. The world of product meanings
The world of activities
The world of activity is about interaction, tasks, actions, situations and practical goals. The
focus is on how things are done, what happens and how people interact with other people,
places and objects. The world of activity can be studied e.g. using observation, shadowing,
interviews, think aloud protocols, role play and through experimentation with prototypes.
In the downhill snow sports case user data about activities was studied by using diaries, self
documentation and observation. The activity was presented in activity scenario, which
contained images, text and video. The activity was divided into different phases such as
preparation, transportation and ascending and skiing activity.
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
Studying the
world of activities
- observation / shadowing
- think aloud protocols
- role play
- prototyping
Contents:
interaction
situations
actions
tasks
Representing the
world of activities
-
task diagrams
flow diagrams
scenarios
acting
videos
Figure 4. The world of activities
The physical world
The physical world is about the physical qualities and conditions as well as the aesthetics and
atmospheres of the environments. The physical world can be studied e.g. by selfdocumenting, observing and video or photograph documenting.
In the downhill snow sports the physical environment was studied by using mapping tasks,
observation and video documenting. The interpreted outcome was presented in the form of
photos and videoclips. The representations described the places showing the conditions that
exist in the mountain environment. The data contained material about the professional
equipment and the enjoyable atmosphere of the social scenery. The study of physical world
may produce a variety of useful data varying in scale and detail.
Studying the
physical world
-
observation
mapping tasks
photographing
video filming
Representing the
physical world
Contents:
pshysical environment
aesthetic environment
spaces, places
conditions
athmosphere
- maps, diagrams
- environmental
models
- photos, videos
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
Figure 5. The physical world
The world of products
The world of products is very much about the product novelty, how advanced the product is
from user´s point of view. It has to do with the desirability of the product, which is a mix of
different qualities such as aesthetics and style, technological level, product features and in
generally how well the product fits into the contemporary trends. It is good to notice that
product purchase is usually based on available product offer and therefore in relation to other
products in the market. These issues are heavily affected by marketing communication and
advertisement. The world of products can be studied e.g. by interviews such as focus groups,
immersion (i.e. trying out oneself), collages and observation. The knowledge can be
represented e.g. in the form of imageboards, -charts and scenarios.
Studying the
world of products
-
comparison tasks
interviews
observation
immersion
Contents:
comparison to other
products
relation to trends
product generalization
Representing the
world of products
- images
- charts
- stories
Figure 6. The world of products
The design perspective- appearance and user interface
Concept design aims at describing the product and its qualities. The aesthetics and physical
ergonomics of the product appearance and the cognitive ergonomics of the user interface
affect the product experience.
Changing the view from the scene of experiences to product perspective gives directions
what are the qualities, which matter and should be looked for. Experience prototypes are one
way to get user centred understanding about physical design features of the future product,
such as material qualities and shapes. The way people understand and use current systems
and devices support in finding new possibilities for user interface design.
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
The design perspective
Reflection of
activities
Reflection of
product
meanings
aesthetics
physical ergonomics
Appearance
Reflection
of the
physical world
User interface
cognitive ergonomics
Reflection of
humans
Reflection of
products
Figure 7. The design perspective
Discussion and future directions
In order to develop user centered tools for concept design we need to understand the possible
users and the complex phenomenon of user experience. In this paper we have presented the
framework of perspectives to user experience as a tool to support that understanding. The
framework is still in process and there are some questions that should be considered in future
development.
Our goal is not to theoretically separate the perspectives of the user experience, because they
are mixed in reality. Also, the perpectives in the framework are partly overlapping. For
example, the world of products and the world of product meanings are very close. The first
one is more subjective and close to the world of humans. The second relates how the user
sees the market context and how it affects the preceived product experience.
In the presented framework, the tools to study and present each perspective are examples.
User centered tools are situational. They have to be applicable and scalable for different
product and organizational contexts. Also, the attitude of the organization, researcher or the
designer, the focus of the study, user data interpretation methods and communication needs
have influence on results.
Our next phase is to evaluate the framework with designers and in concept design process
cases. Although the user experience is holistic and it changes in time, holism can be too open
and ambiguous for managing a user centred product design process. The design process of
interactive systems and products in organisations include variety of disciplines. The
mastering of the different kinds of user data and utilisation of the deliverables may vary
according to the responsibilities and the perspectives of user experience related to areas of
interests. Then, however, special attention should be paid and actions taken to support the
shared user understanding and the common goal with special tools and holistic frameworks.
To be published in the proceedings of The Good, The Bad and The Irrelevant conference on September 3-5, 2003,
in the Media Centre Lume of the University of Art and Design Helsinki.
Another future direction with the development of the framework is weather it could be used
for measuring the different qualities of the experiences- what are the things that matter in
concept design cases.
The downhill snowsports case aimed at seeing the skiers, their culture and activity holistically
in order to understand the phenomenon. The data from that case cannot be put into one of the
lights in the scene of experiences. It covers them all:
• The World of product meanings: skiers have their experience about current wrist top
computers, the meaning of video equipment in mountains.
• The World of humans: people’s characters and motivations, interaction with other skiers,
social life and its role in the culture of free rides and their attitudes and life styles
• The World of activities: understanding the different activities related to free riding
• The Physical world: mountains, snow conditions, packages, equipment, aesthetics of the
skiing culture
• The World of products: equipment, laptops, video cameras already in use
The scene is now lit and the product concept opportunities are there to be discovered.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank people in Suunto company, the free riders, Jodi Forlizzi, Jacob Buur,
Katja Battarbee and other co-workers for inspiration and comments.
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